I have been doing a lot of reflection lately. I am not sure why, maybe with the year end approaching or the change of season or pms, who knows. One interesting reflection I had was about the co-ed softball team season that just ended. I played softball in high school and co-ed in college. That was 18 years ago. Yeah, I was a little nervous starting out on this team. They say it is supposed to be relaxed and fun, but I could tell this team wanted to win. All my insecurities rushed to my brain, oh my god I am going to strike out in slow pitch (which I did in the first game, but that was the only time, the walk back to the bench was longer than any marathon!!) or oh shit they're going to throw the ball to me or oh my god, did he just tell me to slide!!! I sucked it up and made every game. I was definitely the only girly-woman on the team, well there was one other girly-woman, but I was way girlier. By girly-woman, I mean when I made a mistake, I said sorry and giggled nervously instead of spitting. So I often felt very intimated. BUT the thing was after the end of the season as I looked back, I felt totally different about the whole team experience. I started the season feeling like I really did not belong on the team, by the end I realized I was almost as good as any of those players and better than some!! It is amazing what our brains do to us.
Running can also be a mind-f***, as we all know. Right now I am not running my best and it sucks. I just have to figure out how to enjoy the actual motion of running and let go of the competetiveness for a while. There are so many other benefits of running; staying in shape, being able to eat more food, friendship, being outside, the list goes on and on.
I have found one chocolate item I will be able to resist. I ordered a Dunkin' Donuts coffee with a shot of chocolate flavor for the heck of it. Auggghhhh, it was a cross between gasoline and watered down chocolate syrup. It was pretty disgusting, did I still drink the whole thing, yes, of course. Another chocolate thing I baked this week also turned out to be kind of weird. I baked cookies with these new chips that are half chocolate/half caramel. They tasted okay, but I think I'll stick with my basic old fashioned chocolate chip cookie for my Christmas baskets.
I'll leave you with another positive of running; jokes that your running partners share while you are running up a gigantic hill in 19' frigid early morning weather. Keep in mind that my friend told this joke to me while I was the only female running that morning. I was running with three viril men that cold, cold morning. We were discussing stupid things we've done while running marathons that have effected our health and finishing time. The joke goes like this:
"God gave men two main organs with only enough blood to go to one at a time."
Saturday, November 19, 2005
Sunday, November 13, 2005
Feelin' Groovy
I ran in the Parker Holt 5K today in Manchester, CT. I was so freaked out about how awful I felt during last weekend's race, that I got the net and signed up for one this weekend. I felt MUCH better this weekend and my time showed it. I am still not running as fast as I would like, but I just wanted to feel competetive today and I did. It was a very cool course, it was a big snakey course around a small community college campus. It also included "great path", a paved nature path.
The race was in a town about 25 miles away from my own town, therefore I did not know anyone. I think that helped me to bring my race-running back to myself. I did not know if the women ahead of me were indeed my age or not. I just ran the race I wanted to run. I was about 40 secs. slower than my goal, but there was an amazing head wind for a lot of the run that really slowed me down on the last mile. Last weekend, I knew that the Running Chicks would beat me and it was sort of mentally defeating. They are running very well right now, hopefully I can do some speed work this winter and be in better shape for the spring race season.
One thing that might help is if I stop stealing all my three children's Halloween candy. I am so sugared out my stomach hurts almost all the time! I know I am supposed to be running for chocolate, but there is a limit. I just love those little candy bars. I eat about 8 everyday. Then I usually have a bowl of ice cream after dinner with a small bag of M&Ms, of course. Yes, a new diet would probably help my speed.
Another happy thing for me is that I bought myself a new MP3 player. I jinxed myself when I wrote my confession about using one while running. The flippin thing broke the next day or so. I have been running solo ever since and it sucks. I impulse-bought a rave mp at BJs and was pleasantly surprised when it rang up $20 cheaper than the shelf price. YEAH! So I'll be running with the Dixie Chicks and Bonnie Raitt tomorrow. I want to download some Gretchen Wilson too, but my computer-wiz son is on a school trip to Washington, DC so I'll have to figure it out on my own. Thank you, CJ, for sending my some helpful tips about sprucing up my blog. I have yet to try the advice, but hope to very soon!
Have a great week everyone!
The race was in a town about 25 miles away from my own town, therefore I did not know anyone. I think that helped me to bring my race-running back to myself. I did not know if the women ahead of me were indeed my age or not. I just ran the race I wanted to run. I was about 40 secs. slower than my goal, but there was an amazing head wind for a lot of the run that really slowed me down on the last mile. Last weekend, I knew that the Running Chicks would beat me and it was sort of mentally defeating. They are running very well right now, hopefully I can do some speed work this winter and be in better shape for the spring race season.
One thing that might help is if I stop stealing all my three children's Halloween candy. I am so sugared out my stomach hurts almost all the time! I know I am supposed to be running for chocolate, but there is a limit. I just love those little candy bars. I eat about 8 everyday. Then I usually have a bowl of ice cream after dinner with a small bag of M&Ms, of course. Yes, a new diet would probably help my speed.
Another happy thing for me is that I bought myself a new MP3 player. I jinxed myself when I wrote my confession about using one while running. The flippin thing broke the next day or so. I have been running solo ever since and it sucks. I impulse-bought a rave mp at BJs and was pleasantly surprised when it rang up $20 cheaper than the shelf price. YEAH! So I'll be running with the Dixie Chicks and Bonnie Raitt tomorrow. I want to download some Gretchen Wilson too, but my computer-wiz son is on a school trip to Washington, DC so I'll have to figure it out on my own. Thank you, CJ, for sending my some helpful tips about sprucing up my blog. I have yet to try the advice, but hope to very soon!
Have a great week everyone!
Sunday, November 06, 2005
Help me, I am blogger-challenged!!
Hello everyone! I need some technical assistance with my blog. I want to know how to link other sites in my blog entry. I tried the "insert link" icon, but I want to just show the blogger's name, not the whole text. Also, I want to add a list of blogs I visit often on the side of my blog. I don't know how to do that either. I think you must use the same method to list my personal bests as well. So if any of you kind bloggers would tell me how to complete these tasks, I would be ever appreciative!
Onto today's race, oh my goodness, I felt HORRIBLE! I just could not run fast. I tried, believe me!, but my body just said NO! My time was 25:48 for a very fast course. I have run worse races, but I have never felt so bad. It is a very flat course with not a whole lot to look at. It is also an out and back so you know how much you have left to complete. I usually like all of these features in a race!! Well another factor for me was the start time. I usually run at 5:30am so even the 8:00 starts are an adjustment for me. This race started at 1:00pm. I had not paid attention to my food intake and I drank too much coffee before the start and not enough water. Well, you are never to old to learn from your mistakes and I will try to fit in a little more speed work to my running schedule. I guess any type of speed work would be helpful!
My next race is a 5K named the Santa's Run in Glastonbury, CT on Dec. 4th. I like these types of races because there is no pressure to place and all the option of having fun. There are about 1200 participants and there is a costume competetion. I plan on trying place in the costume competetion, not the running race!! We received our team running singlets today for our local running club. I have to figure out a way to work my new shirt into my costume! It's hard to believe it is almost Christmas! Yikes!
Onto today's race, oh my goodness, I felt HORRIBLE! I just could not run fast. I tried, believe me!, but my body just said NO! My time was 25:48 for a very fast course. I have run worse races, but I have never felt so bad. It is a very flat course with not a whole lot to look at. It is also an out and back so you know how much you have left to complete. I usually like all of these features in a race!! Well another factor for me was the start time. I usually run at 5:30am so even the 8:00 starts are an adjustment for me. This race started at 1:00pm. I had not paid attention to my food intake and I drank too much coffee before the start and not enough water. Well, you are never to old to learn from your mistakes and I will try to fit in a little more speed work to my running schedule. I guess any type of speed work would be helpful!
My next race is a 5K named the Santa's Run in Glastonbury, CT on Dec. 4th. I like these types of races because there is no pressure to place and all the option of having fun. There are about 1200 participants and there is a costume competetion. I plan on trying place in the costume competetion, not the running race!! We received our team running singlets today for our local running club. I have to figure out a way to work my new shirt into my costume! It's hard to believe it is almost Christmas! Yikes!
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